M2 April 2018 - LATEST ISSUE!
Books: Must Reads For April
Gallery Of The Dead Chris Carter Robert Hunter, the insomniac genius detective, is back with a novel that fulfills the cover’s proclamation that it is ‘as addictive as a box-set’. I agree, I was bingeing this book at every opportunity. Excellent characters and plot. The Caller Chris Carter Don’t be put off by the tacky...
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Beyond The Bottle
Take a closer look at the only operating wine cooperage in the southern hemisphere. They say a fine wine only gets better with age, and with a rich history spanning over the past 168 years, Australia’s Yalumba winery is a testament to that. Nestled away in the Barossa Valley, Yalumba may just be the most historic...
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The Importance Of Creating Original Content
If content is king, original content is the Holy Grail. In today’s marketplace, your customers are screaming for exciting, engaging and entertaining original content. How important is creating original content? Well take a look at the world of video streaming. There is now an arms race between the likes of Apple, Netflix and Amazon to...
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The Samsung Galaxy S9 And S9+
With its Super Slow-mo video, best-in-class low light camera and AR Emoji for a more personalised way to express yourself, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are the smartphone reimagined. The Super Slow-mo feature makes everyday moments epic. Video is captured at a rate of 960 frames per second and can be started manually or through...
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Editor’s Letter – April 2018
It might be that I’m a bit more conscious of it lately with our recent focus on company board diversity, but there seems to have been a bit more of a spotlight on the liability of boards of late. The Fletcher situation for a start which resulted sadly in Ralph Norris’ resignation and then Shane...
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A Pearl In Two Shells
(Well, ok, three if you add the Cabriolet) Apparently, there are saloon people and there are those that have a penchant for the styling of a coupe. Mercedes-Benz New Zealand figured they’d let me decide what my preference was by lending me two E400 models, back to back. As you are probably already well aware, the...
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Modern-Day Family Values
It seems to me that modern-day family life is not only getting unbelievably busy, but it’s also getting more and more disjointed. What used to be a weekend is now a series of ‘events’ and what used to be interaction now seems to be a group of people at the same location whose minds (and...
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Sports News – April 2018
The One To Watch: Hamish Bond Swaps The Boat For The Bike What do you do when you’ve won two gold medals rowing at the Olympics, taken home seven consecutive world championships and can’t be beaten over eight long years? Take up cycling, is Hamish Bond’s response and he wasn’t meaning a dilly-dally out into...
Read MoreStyle
Levi’s: Not Just Jeans
The power of a brand is something that shouldn’t be underestimated. When you think of burgers, you think of McDonald’s. When you think of soft drinks, you think Coca-Cola. And when it comes to denim, Levi’s stands head and shoulders above everybody else. Founded in 1853 by German immigrant Levi Strauss, Levi’s has its roots in practicality,...
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Up Your Running Game With Reebok’s New Floatride Run Shoes
There is an important relationship between the fields of form and function. Ideally, the shape of an object should follow its intended function and purpose. What’s the point of having a flash looking supercar if the seats mess with your posture and the engine is the equivalent of a ride-on lawn mower? When it comes...
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Get Rugged Up For Autumn
With April underway and Autumn firmly taking root, it’s time to adjust your attire accordingly. Style-wise the colder months give you plenty more options to play with, so consider “rugging up” and adding more pieces to your normal daily fit. Overlaying some plaid with a bomber jacket and working in a scarf for good measure...
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Jack & Jones Street Wear Comes To New Zealand
When it comes to street wear, the best looks draw influence from a variety of styles but know how to balance it all in aesthetic harmony. New and exclusive to Farmers, Danish menswear brand Jack & Jones has just arrived on our shores in time for Autumn. Taking style design inspiration from a Danish brand...
Read MorePeak Performance
Sand, Surf And Success
As a child, Matt-Lewis Hewitt had always been drawn towards sports that required discipline, teamwork and structured routine. Sports like rugby, swimming, surf lifesaving, water polo and, especially, surfing. Starting at 14 years old, it took Hewitt just 18 months before he was competing professionally in surfing. The young prodigy was headed for success, no...
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Unstoppable Force
Mike Horn has circumnavigated the globe more times than a NASA satellite. He’s climbed to the top of numerous 8000+ metre peaks (without oxygen), walked unassisted to both Poles and all the way around the North one, swam the Amazon, played with sharks and piranhas and even had a lap dance from a polar bear. With...
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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: The Gentle Art
My first sparring session (or ‘roll’, as its known colloquially) was an education into how vulnerable we are. It’s comparable to being thrown into a pool without knowing how to swim, or trying to control a boa constrictor. I remember being absolutely manhandled. Using pressure and techniques completely foreign to me, I was dissected in...
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The One To Watch – Opie Bosson
Opie Bosson Reins Supreme In The Twilight Of His Career In a sports world obsessed and put into context by statistics, the phenomenal haul of veteran Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson has to be studied twice to truly appreciate. In a 23 year career in the ruthless racing industry, the 37 year old has amassed over...
Read MoreWild
Surgeons of the Sea
Free Willy vs Jaws… who wins? Hollywood has altered our expectations about how this sort of apex predator duel would go down. Unless you spend more time watching documentaries than old movies on VHS, then the answer isn’t so clear. The biggest great white sharks can measure six metres long, weigh more than 2200 kilograms...
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11 Deadliest Animals on the Planet, And How to Survive Them
The animal kingdom is a strange and wonderful place. From architects to mimes, assassins to philanderers, each animal has its own niche, a role and place. While we regularly encounter cats, dogs, birds and bugs, our chances of seeing dangerous animals are usually limited to visiting the zoo or watching The Discovery Channel. But while...
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Behind The Lens: Open Ocean
The thought of delving into the deep and getting face-to-face with some of the world’s biggest and deadliest beasts is not something everyone can face. But it is a different story for underwater videographer and adrenaline junkie, Steve Hathaway. Fascinated about life under the surface, M2 dove straight in when the opportunity arose to talk...
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Walk on the Wild Side
Expressionist American photographer, Aaron Siskind once said: ‘Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever…’ We bring you the iconic shots from The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017, developed and produced by the National History Museum, London. Capturing the most magical parts of...
Read MoreSnow
New Zealand Snow Guide 2017
With a cold blast hitting much of New Zealand earlier than expected, ski fields the length of the country have been able to open with bonus time to spare. Seasoned snow bunnies know their spots on both islands, but for those looking to venture out and experience new terrain and thrills, where do you go...
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The Mazda SKI-ACTIV Experience
I vividly remember the first time I actually put skis on and hit (quite literally) the snow. I was in my late teens and full of bravado; I headed to the top of the chairlift, strapped on two planks of wood and shot down the slope – straight into a tree. The sensation was both...
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STEF ZEESTRATEN: HALFPIPE HEDONIST
From one of the flattest countries in the world, to the sharp ascents of the Southern Alps, Dutch-born Stef Zeestraten has, as is his wont, carved a name for himself in New Zealand snowboarding folklore. Throughout his 17-year competitive career that saw him peak at 47th in the world in 2008, Zeestraten has followed the serious...
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Climbing The Podium: Kiwis at the Winter Paralympics
The Winter Games, both Olympic and Paralympic, usually pass with minimal mention down under, but in the case of the compact Kiwi Paralympian team heading to South Korea this March, there’s reason to take notice. For a global event that is heavily dominated by northern hemisphere athletes, New Zealand participants more than hold their own....
Read MoreLeadership
The Chair: Rob Campbell
Over the last 30 years Rob Campbell is on the board of some of our largest companies across our largest industries. Currently Chair of Summerset Group Holdings (NZ) and WEL Energy, and a director of SKYCITY Entertainment Group and Precinct Properties as well a director of or advisor to a number of hedge and private...
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Richard Branson’s 75 Close Shaves
Unwavering, relentless persistence, those are the words I would use to describe Richard Branson. He’s built a global brand and personal lifestyle, from scratch that fascinates us with its continuous momentum, near misses and massive achievements. How many international entrepreneurs would be working deals and businesses in massive markets like the UK, the USA, Europe,...
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Impact From Simplicity
In a world of exponential innovation, disruptive technologies and giddy cryptocurrency speculation a discussion about another KiwiSaver fund might seem a little vanilla. But after a few minutes with Simplicity founder, Sam Stubbs even the most finically unfocused would be hard pressed not to find excitement in compounded interest from saved fees, the growth of...
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MARKET LEADER: The driving force behind the real estate evolution
Brendon Skipper’s role as CEO of New Zealand’s No.1 property site, realestate.co.nz, draws on more than 20 years of experience across sales and marketing, property, IT and telecommunications, but he is quick to point out that the CEO role is one that doesn’t come with a manual. Could you describe a standard day for yourself?...
Read MoreGadgets
Belkin Pack Smart
Portability and practicality – the foundational demands of twenty‑first-century living. Think about it. You’ve got a phone called a “mobile”. A computer called a “laptop”. But what’s the point of having fancy gadgets and mod cons if they’re just going to end up getting chipped, scratched and shattered? Belkin know their gadgets and the importance...
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2069 – prepare for NASA’s galactic voyage
Our placement on the great timeline of existence has us nestled in a rather peculiar spot. Columbus, Tasman, Magellan, De Gama – they’ve already done all the Earth exploring for us. The cosmos, however, is the great frontier we have yet to conquer. Humanity has always looked to the stars, gazing into the speckled abyss...
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Game Reviews December 2017
Assassins Creed Origin From: Ubisoft Platform: Xbox One, PC, PS4 You slowly look to the left, spotting your target. Unable to fully scope the terrain you let your pet eagle scout the area from above and highlight enemies for you. Scaling the nearby building you wait for your target to get near. You dive towards...
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The Tech Giant: Bringing The Forest To Amazon
Kindle, Amazon Web Services, Amazon Prime, Amazon Go, Alexa… Amazon is ever the innovator, and that’s not even considering the behemoth that is its online shopping platform. And, with CEO Jeff Bezos firmly set as the richest person on the planet, with a net worth of US$120.5 billion, Amazon has decided to celebrate its success...
Read MoreMandate
AIRBUS – SCi-FI to reality
Picture the scene: you’ve just finished work. You and a dozen other professionals and students are standing around, gormlessly gazing into smartphones. A queue forms as the bus arrives and patrons tap their HOP cards as they begin to board. The location of your bus stop and the time you finish work means you can...
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Amazon Goes Green Spheres
Kindle, Amazon Web Services, Amazon Prime, Amazon Go, Alexa. Amazon are ever the innovators and that’s not even considering the behemoth that is their online shopping platform. And, with CEO Jeff Bezos firmly set as the richest person on the planet with a net worth of $120.5 billion (USD), Amazon have decided to celebrate their...
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Michael Venus – New Zealand Shining Tennis’ Star
Uncommon, like the generational flash of a passing comet or a fleeting eclipse, Michael Venus is New Zealand’s latest tennis shining star and in 2017 became the first Kiwi to win a Grand Slam doubles title since 1979. At the tender age of 30, the Auckland-born and bred resident took out the Roland Garros title...
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This Silo Museum Is a Sight to Behold
The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, which opened in late September is the largest museum of contemporary African art in the world. Made from grain silos decommissioned in 2001, its exterior looks bland and squat. However its interior is an amazing cutaway of concrete tubes. To create such a striking piece of architecture the developers put 500 million...
Read MoreMan on the Street
Man On The Street – Shawn Pope
Age: 46 Occupation: Director of Melba Group What’s your morning routine? Starts with coffee, preferably roasted by Espresso Workshop, it always has! What are the top three things on your bucket list? Spend a white Christmas with my family in the States, travel on the Orient Express (can’t wait to see St Petersburg), windsurf on...
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Man On The Street – Jordon Milroy
Age: 28 Occupation: Visionary and climber at Jordon’s Climb for Awareness What’s your morning routine? The alarm is set for 5.03am. I roll into the gym and do a full workout until 6.45 and then back home, where it’s coffee time! What are the top three things on your bucket list? To find a bucket…...
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Man On The Street – Justin Scott
Age: 26 Occupation: Production Coordinator at NZME What’s your morning routine? Wake up and hit the shower before my partner can. Jump out, whip on some clothes and make some breakfast and then off to work. Fast and furious. What are the top three things on your bucket list? 1. Buy a house in Auckland (like...
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Man on the Street – Jaheb Barnett
Jaheb Barnett Age: 31 Occupation: Advertising Mad Man by day and men’s fashion blogger somewhere in-between What’s your morning routine? Typically it starts with a shock when the alarm goes off at 6am, then me jumping into my exercise kit and hitting F45 training for a workout. This is followed up with a coffee to...
Read MoreDesign
Destination Du Jour – Plazzo Versace Dubai
Dubai, as we all know, is located in the United Arab Emirates and is renowned for luxury, wealth and total opulence – the perfect location to home one of the fashion industry’s most iconic brand’s hotel: Versace. Iconic and ultra-modern architecture fills the skyline of this bodacious city, as it continues to expand and increase...
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NZ Architect wins German Design Award
It sits there in the heart of Auckland’s Titirangi. A corrugated beating heart surrounded by native bush with the warbling sing-song of Tui and Kereru as the soundtrack. While you might think that the seclusion of West Auckland’s native bush would mask the design mastery of “Red House”, it employs the opposite effect, so much...
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Star Wars Laser Battle Drone
Propel (the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of radio-controlled devices) has recently released a new toy on the market, launching gaming and high-tech droning into the next galaxy. With The Last Jedi having hit the big screen last month, and more themed merchandise arriving on shelves around the country, Star Wars-mania is well and truly...
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PassivDom: 3D printed houses fit for any apocalypse or housing crisis
Housing Crisis. Did you feel that? That’s the sense of uneasiness, the power of two words that divided nation during election season. Let’s slice right through that however and take a look at PassivDom, a Ukrainian homebuilding start-up that uses 3D printing to construct slick, independent modular houses. Building a house is not just a...
Read MoreDeep Dives
All Hail Our Secret Government
It’s a golden time for lobbyists at the moment. We’ve just had a change in government and that means it’s time for everything to change, come what may. Duh, it has to – as the last guys obviously got every single thing wrong! But there’s a slight problem in that, aside from a couple of...
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The Fight For Gender Diversity – An Ad Man’s POV
So, a high-powered panel of female leaders featuring Theresa Gattung, Justine Smyth, Tracey Cross, Naomi Ballantyne and Linda Meade were at the M2woman Journey to Excellence forum recently. I think it’s fair to say that the gist of their forum was; “we want moregender equality in the workplace! Now, dammit! Now!” Huh? Is this really...
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Walk on the Wild Side
Expressionist American photographer, Aaron Siskind once said: ‘Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever…’ We bring you the iconic shots from The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017, developed and produced by the National History Museum, London. Capturing the most magical parts of...
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Climbing The Podium: Kiwis at the Winter Paralympics
The Winter Games, both Olympic and Paralympic, usually pass with minimal mention down under, but in the case of the compact Kiwi Paralympian team heading to South Korea this March, there’s reason to take notice. For a global event that is heavily dominated by northern hemisphere athletes, New Zealand participants more than hold their own....
Read MoreCover Stories
Double Edged: The Return of Blade Runner
We’re treading on hallowed ground now. We all knew that one day Hollywood’s rummaging hand would light upon a classic like Blade Runner. They’ve already made the right first move by not rebooting everything from scratch. The second move they need to make is far more nuanced. Just a little background for readers who are...
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The Good, The Bad And The Loki
A couple of years back I took a paper called “Celebrity Cultures” as part of my Post-Grad. In between the discussions around topics such as the role of paparazzi, fandom, and the power of endorsement, “Persona” was a recurring key concept. Meaning “Mask” in Latin, the persona is essentially a socially constructed image that others...
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Jamie Dornan – The Colour In The Grey
“His eyes are intense, probing, demanding even. I stretch out beside him, feeling loose-limbed, my bones like jelly, but I’m relaxed, deeply relaxed.” – E. L. James, Fifty Shades of Grey. As I write this piece, I’m trying my absolute best to not cry of laughter in the office. Never in my wildest dreams would...
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Liam Malone – The Fast Track To Success
The M2 Champagne Bollinger Man of the Year 2016 went to two time gold and one time silver medal winning Paralympian and blade running record breaker Liam Malone. He may have only had three years to prepare for Rio but as he has proven, he moves quickly. On and off the track. And this is...
Read MoreSuccess
Impact From Simplicity
In a world of exponential innovation, disruptive technologies and giddy cryptocurrency speculation a discussion about another KiwiSaver fund might seem a little vanilla. But after a few minutes with Simplicity founder, Sam Stubbs even the most finically unfocused would be hard pressed not to find excitement in compounded interest from saved fees, the growth of...
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6 Top Tips For Social Media Success
Social media is a valuable tool to communicate with your customers in a two-way conversation that encourages their engagement around your brand and product. It’s key to make sure you are creating the right content and conversation to help tell your brand story and connect with people in a way that is genuine. We use...
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Five Free Ways to Market Your Business
When starting out in business, you barely have the resources for your own desk, let alone a marketing budget. Fortunately, marketing doesn’t have to take up a large chunk of your capital. You can increase brand presence and drive customer acquisition without spending a cent. It’s not top secret, but many entrepreneurs underestimate the importance...
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Are you changing fast enough to stay relevant?
To let your fears determine what you do will not only limit what you fail at but, more significantly, what you succeed at. A degree isn’t any better or worse than experience, it’s just that a degree is no longer enough. The only way to learn about life is to experience it and that means...
Read MoreAmazing Photos
In The Moment
A magical moment can be so fleeting, and we don’t always have the right equipment to capture it. Smartphone technology is developing extremely fast, and Apple has always had a strong focus on enabling us to have an incredible camera just sitting in our back pocket. In celebration of the incredible imagery people have captured...
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What Lies Beneath
From growing up in a small town in North Canterbury, to hosting his very own series, picked up by a global documentary giant – National Geographic – Ellis Emmett truly is an inspiration to get out there and get stuck into something you love and turn your ideas and dreams into a reality. We manage...
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Rebuilding a Nation
It was 2.45pm on March 11, 2011; everything was normal for Japan’s 127 million residences. It was one of the first days of spring and the air was still crisp, and there was no real hint of the chilling events about to strike the nation. The 9.0 magnitude quake hit at 2.46pm JST, and it...
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Walk on the Wild Side
Expressionist American photographer, Aaron Siskind once said: ‘Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever…’ We bring you the iconic shots from The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017, developed and produced by the National History Museum, London. Capturing the most magical parts of...
Read MoreSport
Kiwis At The Cup – A New Zealand History In The America’s Cup
As the billionaires and their boats descend on Bermuda for the 35th America’s Cup, Team New Zealand will be once again showing why they are at the cutting edge of yachting evolution. Against a perpetual wall of money, Kiwi sailors have always found a way to get around or over it with skill, innovation, and...
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Hayden Paddon, Gravel Guru
A generation after the world-beating deeds of the late Possum Bourne, rally star Hayden Paddon has once again put Kiwi drivers on the map. The Hyundai driver has become a fixture on the world’s loose roads for the past four years and has been supremely competitive when all the stars align. In such a condensed...
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Closing The Gap: Young Blood To Stir Up Formula 1 In 2018
After surprising everyone including himself last season, Kiwi Brendon Hartley’s taste of Formula 1 action has led to a permanent ride for the Red Bull Toro Rosso in 2018 and a realisation of his potential. Going from Palmerston North to the Principality of Monaco is a rather large jump but for the 28 year old...
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The Monthly Sports Agenda
It’s business as usual in September, and Australia is the place to be for sporting action in this part of the world, as their most supported codes wind up their seasons. Elsewhere on the globe, New York is hosting two events of international significance with records to be broken. NRL FINALS SERIES September is the...
Read MoreBucket List Experiences
War Rages On
After nearly 40 years and countless trips to the battle zones of Afghanistan, American photographer Steve McCurry has finally finished his latest body of work and book, Afghanistan… and it is nothing short of incredible. Photography By Steve McCurry In-between living in New York and spending time at his holiday home, McCurry has spent a large...
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SQUISH STUDIO, Fogo Island
First settled in the mid-18th century, Tilting is known for its strong Irish culture and its recent designation by Parks Canada as a National Cultural Landscape District of Canada. The Squish Studio’s white angular form, sited on a rocky strip of coastline, that could rival Italy’s western coast, offers sharp contrast to the traditional vernacular...
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Behind The Lens: Open Ocean
The thought of delving into the deep and getting face-to-face with some of the world’s biggest and deadliest beasts is not something everyone can face. But it is a different story for underwater videographer and adrenaline junkie, Steve Hathaway. Fascinated about life under the surface, M2 dove straight in when the opportunity arose to talk...
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M – The Heart and Seoul of BMW
Over easter; BMW invited me to Seoul to stretch the legs of their M-Sport range on the tarmac of its Driving Centre in Incheon, South Korea. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I sure wasn’t going to ‘passover’! For those of you that don’t know, here’s a brief history lesson. Officially founded on March 7,...
Read MoreWheels
One year on… GT Membership
“If you’re a golfer you join a golf club – we don’t like golf”… It was such a succinct analogy, summing up the Hampton Downs GT membership so perfectly that it could have come from the racetrack owner Tony Quinn himself (without the Scottish brogue or the hint of expletives of course). As the membership...
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Simple Pleasures – The new CX-5 Launch
Let’s face it, modern everyday life can be pretty busy. Between the necessity of work and the demands that come with family and friends, there seems to be so much pressure to do things. Time appears to be going by so fast (even speeding up) and very little of it is spent metaphorically speaking ‘silently...
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Wheels News – February 2018
What you need to know in the World of cars this February. URUS A super sports car soul and the functionality typical for an SUV. Introducing the Urus, the world’s first Super Sport Utility Vehicle. Produced by Lamborghini, the URUS opens up new possibilities both on and off road! What? Powered by both a jet...
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Elegant Kodo – Mazda Vision Coupe Concept
The Mazda VISION COUPE is a next-generation design vision model that showcases the ‘new elegance’ and draws upon Mazda’s long history of design. In creating the form of the body, the focus has been on stripping away everything that is unnecessary while bringing out the beauty of natural phenomena through exquisite, ever-changing patterns of light...
Read MoreHealth
Top tips to keep well this winter
As the cooler months approach, the days start getting short and the nights start getting chillier. At this time of year with more germs floating around and a greater chance of coming into contact with infectious bacteria or viruses it is important to keep yourself fit and healthy. There are a number of precautions you...
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Top 9 Stress Reducing Foods
What you eat forms the basis of everything that your body does and to function at your best, it’s important to eat a diet packed full of nutrient-rich foods. With an ever increasing number of Kiwis suffering from chronic stress, anxiety and depression, it’s time to start looking to our diets to help support our...
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Health News – October 2017
Get into the best gear, and get your body ready for from the inside to make the most of your workout. NEW BALANCE If you are that way inclined, then you can understand the struggle of finding a performance shoe that looks just as good as it performs. The New Balance 574 Sport is a...
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Health News – August 2017
New Balance New Balance is bridging the gap between performance and lifestyle shoes with their latest release, the 574 Sport. Known for their classic running style, New Balance is injecting their widely recognised running style into a shoe that is sporty, yet sleek – in other words a shoe you can wear to the gym...
Read MoreEntertainment
Project Cars 2, Such a Brutal Game
Our Father, who art in V8’s, hallowed be Thy Mercedes AMG. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Hockenheim, on Silverstone. Give us our daily petrol, and forgive Gran Turismo, as we forgive those who still think it’s the best; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. My God...
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4 Movies To Look Out For This December
Oh the horror, December. It’s a magical time to recollect that you have no idea where your year went, while being bludgeoned with red and green tinsel. November has already seen the first wave of terrible Christmas movies, so we can skim past those onto better things. Star Wars: The Last Jedi ...
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Thor: Ragnarok
I used to write ordered lists of which Marvel Universe movies you should watch in order to see whichever is the latest Avengers film to come out. But now that the cinematic universe contains 17 movies, I’ve sort of given up on that. But if you do want at least a modicum of back story, then...
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Kevin Hart – The Irresponsible Tour
Kevin Hart, Hollywood’s leading funny man, is coming to New Zealand for the first time bringing his “Irresponsible Tour”, performing his routine 360º in-the-round – a first for a stand-up comedy tour of this scale. He may be small in stature, but Kevin Hart’s empire continues to grow to gargantuan proportions. The comedian and actor had a...
Read MoreFood
Recipe: Butter Infused With All Natural Ingredients
When it comes to summer food there is one thing many of us look forward to all year – BBQs. Perfectly cooked steak, fresh prawns and locally caught fish with summer salads and perla potatoes. It’s a summer tradition, really! Award-winning chef Owen Sinclair has created a must-have for your next BBQ with Flavour Fiend...
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The Burger Battle
Each week seems to bring another burger joint opening, but hey, we’re not complaining. But with each new opening comes a new concept, so which fusion, style or flavour do you pick? Better Burger These guys seem to be taking on the city, with the recent opening of their Sylvia Park store showing they have...
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Discover Your New Local – Ben Bayly’s Less Obvious Guide to the Best Restaurants
We live in a golden age of chefs. Between the move towards consumers seeking a more personal and authentic dining experience, Auckland is bubbling over with cooking legends who not only practice world-class gastronomy but also manage to remain authentic with more focus on craft than profit. Ben Bayly, one of the judges on New...
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Where Our Chefs Eat: The Ultimate Mans Guide
There’s nothing worse than pining after a dish all day, only to be miserably disappointed when your order doesn’t quite live up to the expectations. With a dizzying array of options dotted around the city, it’s hard to know where to even begin. To avoid a serious case of food disappointment, we spoke to some...
Read MoreWine
Barrel Owners Club
I think we’ve all considered what it would be like to make our own wine. Having rows of grapes stretching across acres of Otago land. While you may not be able to uproot your family and lifestyle to chase idyllic rural dreams you may be able to get in on this personalised wine making business....
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The Champagne Campaign: the new Mumm Grand Cordon
Be it sprayed on the podium after an F1 race, raised as a toast at a gathering of colleagues and associates, or popped open for a special occasion, champagne is a prerequisite for any celebration. Hailing from a long line of German barons and knights going back to the 12th century, the Mumm family founded...
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The Big, the Bold and the Beautiful
My younger brother is a chef and, being passionate about food, has always been very hands on when it comes to his craft. He always maintains that the passion and love for what you are creating comes through in the end product: “you can taste the love.” It is that same passion that comes through...
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Bollinger: The Nectar of the Gods
Champagne has never been just a wine. It has long been recognised as something special, and until recent times, something that has only been enjoyed by nobility. Often referred to as, “the Nectar of the Gods”. hampagne can only be called Champagne if it comes from the Champagne region – an area that rarely sees...
Read MoreCoach Your Way To Success
Opportunities in abundance?
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill Finding Opportunities are everywhere, as are difficulties, which is why the key to succeeding is to embrace difficulty, as inside lies the very element for which you search. The very act of living life is to...
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The importance of business values
A crucial process your business can go through is creating a set of values. I believe having a well thought out set of values is just as important as a business strategy. But putting them down on paper and ticking them off the list is not enough – you and your team must live and...
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The Importance Of Being Agile
This year has been a turbulent one for New Zealand. Not just for businesses, but for people in general, with the roller-coaster of the election which fuelled uncertainty and one of the wettest winters. In real estate, uncertainty and weather always has an impact (visitors to open homes drop significantly when there’s wet and/or windy...
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Get ready for the biggest market correction in history
So much stimulus, and yet no growth and negligible inflation. We are overloaded with debt, so lowering interest rates and encouraging people to borrow is not a sustainable economic strategy. It’s like giving beers to an alcoholic. In the movie of the same name, Morpheus eludes to the existence of the matrix, “You know something...
Read MoreLuxury Watches
Montblanc Picks of 2017
Montblanc 1858 Automatic Evoking designs and themes of timepieces past is a formula that can either work fantastically or come across as contrived. Montblanc’s 1858 collection, in particular the Montblanc 1858 Automatic, tastefully pays tribute to the Minerva chronographs of the 1930s, while making subtle changes for the sensibilities of the modern day. A deep...
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TAG Heuer Picks of 2017
TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T Tourbillon Baguette Diamonds Jack Heuer, great-grandson of founder Edouard Heuer, designed the original Carrera in 1963, inspired by the speed, thrill and edginess in the world of auto-racing. The 2017 Carrera Heuer-02T Tour channels the daredevil bravado of Carrera’s past and injects it with the unabandoned flashiness and swagger of the...
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The Race Against Time
When you think of watch makers you might think of far-flung European cities with gingerbread houses and a proliferation of bicycles. Definitely your first thought won’t stray toward our very own City of Sails. But it should, because we have creatives in Auckland who are starting to make waves. One of them is the father-son...
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Omega Picks of 2017
Seamaster Planet Ocean Sporting an eye-catching navy blue and burnt orange colourway, “Big Blue” as Omega have nicknamed it, is bold in style, clever in design and grabs attention in a manner vastly different to your standard luxury watches. Omega have springboarded off the success of last year’s Planet Ocean “Deep Black” and have dived deeper...
Read MoreDrink
The Single Malt Whisky Night
Recently a few of us lads in the neighborhood got together and established the Renfrew Whisky Appreciation Society. While it sounds incredibly sophisticated, it’s not. It is a bunch of blokes looking for a good excuse to imbibe good whisky. The concept is simple, it always revolves around Single Malt whisky and entry is by...
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A New Drop
A harvest gold complexion and a fiery-but-curious sweet toffee texture, Ardbeg An Oa is a magical addition welcomed to the Islay Malts. Layered with a plethora of different flavours, the complex whiskey contains an illuminating exploration of age-old techniques. Gathering Vats combine different casks to marry flavours together; the tastes and emotions that Ardbeg have...
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New Whisky Alert: Ardbeg An Oa
It’s Friday, so what do you have lined up tonight? Because heads up for Whiskey lovers, a new Single Malt hit NZ yesterday, the Ardbeg An Oa. Ardbeg’s Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks, Dr Bill Lumsden, says, “Ardbeg An Oa’s rounded and subtly smoky aromas reflect all the contrasts of the Mull...
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Taste Of Summer
Seek out those who embrace the unusual, and you’ll find that Hendrick’s Gin is much loved by a handful of curious individuals all over the world. infused with the remarkable Bulgarian Rosa Damascena and specially selected cucumbers, Hendrick’s Gin has a unique botanical signature that sets it apart from the rest. The master distiller carefully crafts...
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Chris Carter – The Hunter And The Hunted
Chris Carter is a crime writer with a long résumé of published works. He is most well-known for his Robert Hunter series of detective novels, which includes An Evil Mind, One By One, The Night Stalker and The Crucifix Killer, all of which have enjoyed big success globally. But dig deeper into his CV, and...
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Kiwi Author Sells Book Rights to Hollywood
Ben Sanders was not a name I had heard of when I saw his books in stores for Christmas. So after a few sightings, I got the message and read American Blood. I liked it. The hero, Marshall, wasn’t as arrogant as Jack Reacher, and not as active as Jason Bourne. He was a good...
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The Author To Know: David Lagercrantz
Best-selling author of I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic and 11 other well-known titles, Lagercrantz is a man who wears numerous hats. One moment he is a journalist, the next he is a biographer, the next a ghost-writer, then a novelist. A man of sheer talent and verve. Born in Solna in 1962 to Olof Lagercrantz (a...
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Gregg Hurwitz
Gregg Hurwitz – the New York Times bestselling writer of 19 novels, numerous screenplays for films and a New York Times Bestselling graphic novelist for 14 comic books – has definitely hit the ground running when it comes to producing top-quality, thrilling fiction. With multiple award nods under his belt – such as a two-time...
Read MoreBook Reviews
5 books that have changed the way I think about business
As an entrepreneur, I don’t have as much time for reading as I would like; I’m often too busy ‘doing’. But there’s value to be gleaned from other people’s stories of having been there, done that, and lots we can learn from their trials and tribulations. So here are five books that have affected me...
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The Books To Read
Typhoon Fury – Clive Cussler Juan Cabrillo and the corporation are off on another adventure, this time sees them in Asia. A good old fashioned good guy versus the bad guys with the villain being tough and not to be messed with. This is the 9th Oregon files book, those familiar with the series will...
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THREE BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH
Three Days And A Life Pierre Lemaitre Reading this book for me was like watching a great arthouse film. Lemaitre, who Stephen King says is “a really excellent suspense novelist”, had me gripped from the opening pages. I really felt for our lead character and wondered what was he going to do. How do you...
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Book reviews – March 2018
By Tim Lawrence I haven’t read the first two Orphan X novels, but I did read and review another Hurwitz novel last year, Tell No Lies, where I said: “ The story is set in San Francisco, the hero is a rich kid with a tough, wealthy mother; he gives up everything to marry his...
Read MoreM2 MARCH 2018 issue
Pinot Noir Game Changers
The Pinot Noir grape hails from Burgundy in France. While their origins are in France you’ll find that our New Zealand Pinot Noirs are quite unique. It is this uniqueness that has our wine producers looking to Pinot Noir to being the next big export success – on the back of their outstanding success with...
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Ford Ranger Raptor: Performance & Baja Ha Ha
A recent study by Ford research boffins in Europe highlighted that regularly driving a sports car can greatly increase your sense of wellbeing and emotional fulfillment. Therefore, although our off-roading friends may find a certain sense of pleasure slowly wallowing around in the mud ruts of the countryside, they have evidently, by owning a mere...
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The Champagne Campaign: the new Mumm Grand Cordon
Be it sprayed on the podium after an F1 race, raised as a toast at a gathering of colleagues and associates, or popped open for a special occasion, champagne is a prerequisite for any celebration. Hailing from a long line of German barons and knights going back to the 12th century, the Mumm family founded...
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Eating Now A Full Sensory Experience
They say that you eat with your eyes first. Humans are creatures requiring stimulus, and with structured perceptions of what food is. Typically, if we don’t like how food looks, we won’t eat it. ECAL student Erika Marthins is tackling food from a technological perspective, combining movement, noise and light with food to challenge our...
Read MoreM2 FEBRUARY 2018 issue
5 Ways Great Leaders Motivate Their Team
Happy workers are productive workers. A motivated, passionate group of employees are going to work hard and help your business grow. Maximising revenue and increasing productivity will help your bottom line, but to get there, it is key to make your staff feel valued. Here are five ways great leaders motivate their team. Find the...
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Diamond Geezer – Range Rover Velar
In cockney terms, a diamond geezer is a type of good bloke, a stand-up man, an all-round good sort… in other words, the Range Rover Velar. For as well as the Velar hailing from the UK, being a ‘bit of awright’, driving well and having some blinding good tech, it also comes loaded with diamonds...
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Editor’s Letter February 2018
I’m an optimistic person by nature (probably a little bit too much so when it has come to some past financial investments) lately, though not even my overabundance of positivity is enough to make it through the financial news without coming away with at least a small amount of dread. Concerns about rising debt levels,...
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Destination Du Jour – Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Gold Coast
Greeted by hectares of lush tropical gardens with the ocean in sight, and lagoon pools beckoning in a shimmering blue, the magical holiday atmosphere is unmistakable at the Sheraton Grand Mirage. A swim-up bar serving cocktails in glasses the size of a fishbowl is just one of the reasons that this five-star resort is ideal...
Read MoreM2 JANUARY 2018 issue
The Importance Of Being Agile
This year has been a turbulent one for New Zealand. Not just for businesses, but for people in general, with the roller-coaster of the election which fuelled uncertainty and one of the wettest winters. In real estate, uncertainty and weather always has an impact (visitors to open homes drop significantly when there’s wet and/or windy...
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Matt Smith – The Fresh Prince
Time Lord or Prince Charming? Take your pick, but rising star Matt Smith can lay claim to both. The rising style icon, ex-Doctor Who, and now Prince Philip, in Netflix blockbuster The Crown, is beginning to carve out his own kingdom – one role at a time. The divine right of kings is a religious...
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The Collection – I Love Ugly
We can’t get enough from these guys, and luckily they have hit us with another drop, their final collection for 2017. I Love Ugly is one to keep an eye on for what’s cool and on-trend. In perfect timing for summer, the team at I Love Ugly have delivered their final collection for 2017 – Westhaven...
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Top Cat – Jaguar F-PACE 25D R-Sport
As a kid, the coolest cat I remember was Top Cat or T.C to his close friends. Sporting a mauve pork pie hat and waistcoat, he and his gang of alley cats (Benny the Ball, Choo-Choo, Brain, Fancy Fancy and Spook), ruled Manhattan from their home base in Hoagy’s Alley, pulling high-jinx and tormenting Officer...
Read MoreM2 DECEMBER 2017 issue - Man of the Year issue
Arkup: Forget Floating Mortgages, Get A Floating Home
If you think that land value continuously growing in value is for suckers then consider this $2 million luxury floating home, the Arkup. Not only do you no longer need to worry about earthquakes, but according to its creators it’s also hurricane proof. As you can see by its roof, it relies on renewable energy and being...
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Summer Essentials
Summer is finally here. Fun fact: technically summer doesn’t actually start until December 21 in New Zealand and Australia, which is the meteorological start to the season while the ‘first of the month’ is chosen to make record-keeping simple, easy and clean. Anyway… Summer is mostly here, and it is time to wrangle together your best...
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The Drink For Celebration
Champagne has long been the celebratory drink for all occasions. To be called Champagne, it must be produced in the Champagne region and, to a large extent, winemakers use predominantly Pinot Noir (black) grapes mixed with Chablis (Chardonnay). Here is a selection some of our favourite bubbles for the festive season, including one of our...
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Destination Du Jour: QT Museum Wellington
While we do like to explore and travel the world in style, it is important to get to know your own back yard before taking on the rest of the globe. And where better to start than in our capital city, Wellington. The bustling city is known as the most creative city in New Zealand...
Read MoreM2 NOVEMBER 2017 issue
Best Things Ever Said – November 2017
Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit. Conrad Hilton Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. Marcus Aurelius Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say...
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Destination Du Jour – BULGARI Bali Resort
Imagine waking up to the calming sound of waves washing upon the shore; birds and wildlife chattering in the distance; and smelling the earthy scent of the native forest as you slowly come to… Home of the spiritual getaway, Bali has become one of those destinations that every second person has been to, and for...
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Riding the Winning Cycle
In being content with the rugged terrain of New Zealand’s beautiful biking tracks, a cross-country cyclist yearns for a good challenge. With an ever-changing landscape, the mixture of adrenaline and dust, the heat of metal and the whizz of turning wheels, the testament of the racer is most definitely in the skill of the riding....
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Life is a sales pitch: get where you want to be – faster
I was fortunate enough to head to Vegas for the Connor vs Mayweather fight. It will go down as the best trip of my life. I bought tickets to the fight but the goal for the trip was to meet both the fighters. It was an ambitious goal. But not only did I watch the...
Read MoreM2 OCTOBER 2017 issue
Health News – October 2017
Get into the best gear, and get your body ready for from the inside to make the most of your workout. NEW BALANCE If you are that way inclined, then you can understand the struggle of finding a performance shoe that looks just as good as it performs. The New Balance 574 Sport is a...
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BOSE Introduces Tiny New Bluetooth Speaker
Bose has just introduced the SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker, its small but rugged portable speaker. It Measures just 9.5cms wide and deep, 3.8cms high, and weighing a mere 290 grams.. Tested beyond its IPX7 waterproof rating, the Micro lets you enjoy music, take and make calls, and access Siri or your Google Assistant The Micro is packed...
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The Tesla of The Sea
Designed by Hinckley, Dasher is the world’s first fully electric luxury motor yacht. The 28.5 footer was designed from the ground up with electric propulsion in mind. It shaves as much weight off as it can from its carbon-epoxy composite hull, to its hand-painted, lightweight Artisanal Teak. As a result it’s the lightest boat the 90...
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Thor: Ragnarok
I used to write ordered lists of which Marvel Universe movies you should watch in order to see whichever is the latest Avengers film to come out. But now that the cinematic universe contains 17 movies, I’ve sort of given up on that. But if you do want at least a modicum of back story, then...
Read MoreM2 SEPTEMBER 2017 issue
Mills Reef winery launches a new range of wines called Bespoke
One of our favourite wineries and the most awarded boutique winery in new Zealand has just come out with a new range. This new range joins their premium lineup and sits perfectly between their Elspeth and the Reserve ranges that we often recommend in M2. The new line up was born from the desire of...
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Spring in a Bottle – Our Wine Picks for the Season
It’s officially spring and, with summer on the way, it is the perfect timing for the release of some spectacular new season wines and time to line up some stunning Pinots, two Pinot gris with very distinct characteristics – one from Hawkes Bay and the other from Waipara Valley, a lovely Pinot Rosé from Marlborough...
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M2 Luxury Watch Guide 2017
The phrase ‘time is relative to the observer’ arose from Albert Einstein’s field equations, which were published in 1915. Although he was talking about time as it pertains to general relativity, this extends to us as observers within the human condition. A minute can feel like hours at moments of stress. Conversely, the oft-thrown-around idiom...
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Sony’s New TV Emanates Sound Through the Screen Itself
Late in July Sony revealed its highly-anticipated BRAVIA OLED television (A1 series) in New Zealand as it began rolling out into stores. By combining the superior picture quality of OLED with the 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme, the A1 series offers the world’s very first in-screen sound system in a large screen TV. Taking advantage of...
Read MoreM2 AUGUST 2017 issue
Farmyard Frolics – Audi Q5/SQ5
Over the years, high-end European SUVs have been given the less than gracious nickname Remuera Tractors. Fitted with more bling than an American Rap artist, but with (if possible) less substance behind them, it’s easy to understand why. In truth, their general day-to-day use barely has them venture into a puddle or over a speed...
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Pressing Matters – a photojournalistic encapsulation of the year 2016
Annually, the World Press Photo Foundation recognises photographers’ visual creativity and commitment to in-depth photojournalism by exhibiting pictures that capture an event or issue of great journalistic importance in the previous 12 months. This year, an intense and haunting depiction of the assassination of Turkey’s Russian ambassador took the prestigious first prize as Photo of...
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Belief and the percentage game
There was never a truer statement than: “If you believe you can, you will, and if you believe you can’t, you won’t.” This is extremely pertinent in a time of massive disruption and change, where very established businesses can be taken out by a start-up company with a better product or service and a better...
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Surgeons of the Sea
Free Willy vs Jaws… who wins? Hollywood has altered our expectations about how this sort of apex predator duel would go down. Unless you spend more time watching documentaries than old movies on VHS, then the answer isn’t so clear. The biggest great white sharks can measure six metres long, weigh more than 2200 kilograms...
Read MoreM2 JULY 2017 issue
Daddario Takes it to Another Level
Alexandra Daddario has quickly become the darling of the world. Or at least Reddit. Reddit is the world, right? In TV-land, she quickly became known for some, uh, quite memorable scenes in True Detective, but what most people will remember most about Alexandra Daddario is her eyes, and how they look right through you into...
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Mandate July 2017
The Lula Inn is a new bar and eatery on the Viaduct with a unique Pasifika style. Great food and great entertainment, combined with a huge range of gins and some of the best cocktails on the Viaduct. If you are looking for a night out in town that is a little bit different, then...
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Best Business Advise I Have Ever Given!
Your need to be really, really, really clear on what you want and it has to be stated simply. This isn’t written for those of you who already have your life sorted with a vision board or written goals that you look at it every single day. Congratulations, you are in a very small group...
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Man on the Street – Vinny Sherry
Age: 39 Occupation: Director of Campbell and Co and New Zealand Fashion Week What do you have for breakfast? Usually a smoothie, or cereal sometimes. On the weekends, a bit of bacon and eggs. What is your dream car? My dream car is the Range Rover Sport. Black on black on black. What is the top...
Read MoreM2 JUNE 2017 issue
Man On The Street – Shaun McGivern
Age: 39 Occupation: Partner at Haigh Lyon Lawyers What do you have for breakfast? Essentially birdseed so homemade muesli or Porridge or a combination of whatever is left of those and whatever I am making for the boys What is your morning routine? Monday and Friday is the gym and Tuesday to Thursday is...
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Logan Dodds Captures The Action
Being the social media sensation that he is, Logan Dodds is evidently no stranger to being in the limelight. When it comes to capturing the right mood, combined with the right moment, his vision is faultless and his adventurous spirit makes for some of the most breath taking and jaw dropping moments ever to grace...
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New Zealand just got its first saké professional
Our craft beer market has plenty of gurus willing to provide you brews on your journey of beer discovery, but in New Zealand it’s a little tough to find the right person to guide you through your saké experience. Once you get the taste for saké you never go back. Now, Fuminobu (Fumi) Nakatani –...
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, A No Brainer Must Buy
When I get a Switch game I always feel like I’m getting two games for one. I plug the Switch into the TV and I’m playing a console. I pull the Switch out of its cradle and now I have the same game on a portable device. It really is amazing. So much so I...
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M2 April 2018 (Full Issue) • M2 March 2018 (Full Issue) • M2 February 2018 (Full Issue) • M2 January 2018 (Full Issue) • M2 December 2017 (Full Issue) • M2 November 2017 (Full Issue) • M2 October 2017 (Full Issue) • M2 September 2017 (Full Issue) • M2 August 2017 (Full Issue) • M2 July 2017 (Full Issue) • M2 June 2017 (Full Issue)